An: So at least I'm updating. I know it's sporadic here, but I'm trying, really, really! Thank you for hanging in there! And everybody have a very Merry Christmas! Remember, despite the media trying to take it away, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Ch. 21 – Reflection

"All of her vitals are improving. I can safely tell you now that I do believe she'll pull out of it just fine." The doctor gave them the most encouraging thing either Heero or Zechs had heard since they had stepped foot inside the hospital.

"And my child?" Heero ventured.

"We are not entirely sure the stability of the child yet. As far as we can tell, everything seems to be fine, but she is very early still in her pregnancy. It is not uncommon for mothers in accidents of any kind of miscarry this early."

"But it is a good sign that she has not all ready?" Zechs quickly cut in.

"Her body had been in a state of shock in which she is only now truly beginning to come out of. I'm afraid of the damage it might have caused to the child even if it should live."

"I could have stopped this…" Heero mumbled under his breath, but no one heard him. "Thank you."

Heero continued to stare at her. She looked so fragile lying there, as if he could simply touch her and break her body in two, but she had woken up and the doctor said she was going to be ok.

"How you holding up?" Hilde placed a reassuring hand on Heero's shoulder. He shrugged it off, but she smiled at him. "I know you're the tough guy. I know you all too well, Heero Yuy, but you love her. And I know you're dying inside seeing her like this."

"She's getting stronger."

"She's a strong woman. She'll pull out fine, but in the meantime…"

Heero shot Hilde a sideways glance.

"I'll stay with her a while, and so will Quatra. I've already sent Zechs home. He needs sleep. So do you."

"I don't need sleep."

"Ok, if you won't sleep, then go help Duo catch that creep that did this to you both."

"Mission accepted."

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Duo had watched Heero come in the door a little over an hour before and was almost scared to even look his way. When he finally got up the courage to glance up, what he saw was saddening. Heero looked exhausted, to say the least. He needed a good night's rest and a shower, but Duo didn't dare mention it. He realized he'd been staring at his sleepy-eyed friend for about ten minutes before he decided to speak. "Hilde has a date…"

"Hn."

"With the sleaziest man in the entire world..."

"Hn."

"…Kevin Beaumont."

Heero's head snapped, and he glared at Duo intently.

"It's all a part of the plan."

"What plan?"

"The one I came up with while you were gone."

"Since when do you have any authority…or brains for that matter…to come up with a plan?"

"You're not my boss."

"You're totally incompetent and incapable of making a paper airplane, let alone a plan which could take down the single person that ruined all of our lives."

"Do you want to hear it? Or are you just going to yell at me all day?"

Heero sighed and glared.

"Kevin had a thing for Hilde. She offered to help in any way she could, and she may be the only one of us left who can still get on the inside. If she goes on a date with a wire, maybe we can get enough information to take him in."

"We already have enough information to take him in."

"No, he has no outstanding arrests. There's nothing particularly criminal in tabloid publications, because they happen every day and people buy them, yet no one gets arrested. It should be crime, but it's not."

"If Relena would wake up we might could get harassment."

"Harassment is minor. He'd get a fine that he'd pay off in a few minutes."

"With his rap sheet it should send him back to the pen."

"But you know it won't…"

Heero growled.

"We need something big."

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Hilde stared blankly at Relena. She'd cried out of anger, at first, for making her feel sorry for her when she didn't want to. Then she'd cried out of embarrassment that she could be so selfish. Then she'd cried out of sorrow for Relena having to go through this. Now she stared blankly, because her emotions had run dry on her and prayed Relena would wake up soon so she could tell her things had somehow mended while she was asleep.

Quatra looked back and forth from Relena to Hilde. He didn't question Hilde's tears or her looks, he simply took the situation in. He wanted to comfort Hilde, but he knew she was a stubborn woman who needed to work out the kinks herself in her own way and time. He wanted to comfort Relena and let her know how everyone had banded together to care for her. That no one hated her, as she must have thought when she desperately put herself in this situation. Instead, they all had found a new, deeper love for her and the child she was carrying. And he secretly prayed the child would live and not be harmed. It was innocent of the stupidity of this world and came from two parents who loved each other and it so much. It deserved to feel at little bit of that love before passing on.

Quatra reflected for a moment and thought if he could trade places with the child he would. He'd lived his life. He'd a had quite a life, indeed. Not the life he would have chosen or would have thought he'd have lived, but quite a life, nonetheless. He'd had his moment in the sun, and now, besides his friends, had no one in particular to live for. He would be missed, sure, but not like the others who had loves. If he could trade places with that baby, he'd do it in a heartbeat, to let him or her live a life just as fully as he had been able to in his short life of twenty years. Yes, he'd gladly take its place.

The two sat, staring mindlessly, engulfed in their own thoughts. So much so that they didn't even see Relena's eyelashes flutter open and her head begin to twist a little, back and forth, trying to grasp who was now surrounding her. She looked at Hilde, with brows furrowed, trying to place everything together that had happened. She remembered being in the bathroom, very sick. Then she had gone to run herself a bath. And then…she winced. She'd slipped and hit her head. So where was she now? Her eyes glanced about the room. A hospital? She'd just hit her head, surely no reason to take her to the hospital. She drew her hand up to her head and felt a bandage wrapped around it. She pressed it and whimpered. It still hurt to touch.

"Relena?" Quatra heard her nearly mute cry and noticed her eyes were now wide open.

"Quatra…" She tried to smile, putting on her politician face.

"You're awake."

Why wouldn't I be? She wondered, but she didn't ask. Maybe all of this had been a dream. Maybe everything was fine. Maybe something had happened she didn't remember, and she'd just dreamed up the rest. Maybe there was no fight, no Kevin. Then her mind wandered farther and she frowned: no baby…no Heero…

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